Fishing lure



Nov. 20, 1951 M. J. lsAAc 2,575,626

FISHING LURE Filed April 24. 195o ZZ Z425 Y MATTHEW ggg ATTO/PNZ'YPatented Nov. 20, 1951 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE J 'FIsnING'LUnE nMatthew J. Isaac, `I)`allas,ylex.Y Application pri124, 195o, serial No.157,743 12 claims. (o1. 43-4`2Qos) Thisinvention relates to new anduseful improvements in fishing lures, and more particularly to castingplugs. n

' 'One object of the invention is to provide a shing lure havingimproved means for connecting the shing line with the hooks, whereby thedanger of losing the hooks from the line and lure is minimized.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a lure wherein thelure body, the hooks, and the downwardly and forwardly inclined spoon ordeecting plate at the front of the lure body for causing a vibratoryV orwiggling movement of the lure are connected together by a single screw,facilitating assembly and reducing cost.

An important object of the invention is to provide, in a lure of thecharacter described, means for Varying the weight of the lure, andwherein additional weight is connected `to the lure at the point ofpivotal connection of the lure with the shing line, so that the addedweight does not affect the wiggling or Vibratory motion of the lure.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a lure of thecharacter described, a deecting plate or spoon secured to the body ofthe lure at the forward end thereof and extending downwardly andforwardly from below the nose of the lure for causing an erratic orwiggling movement of the lure as the same is drawn throughpthe water,said deflecting plate or spoon havingI an elongate medial vertical slotprovided therein whereby a snap fastener may be engaged through the slotwith the eye of the hooks or the hook link carrying the hooks forconnecting the fishing line directly to the hooks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lure of the characterdescribed having a slotted deflecting plate or spoon wherein the jettingof water through said slotcauses the jetted water to act against aflattened weight suspendedl at the point of connection of the snapfastener with the hook eye or hook link to cause the Weight to move tolincrease the erratic movementof the lure.`

Another object of the invention is to provide a lure of the characterdescribed having improved means for attaching a trailing wiggler, suchas a.V pork Vrind or feathers or the like, to the lure adjacent thehooks for increasing the effectiveness of the lure.

` Additional objects and advantages of the invention will readily beapparent from the reading of the following description of a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention,*and

reference 'to 'the accompanying drawings thereof, whereinz-A A. 1 K -v-Figure l-is aside elevation of a lure embodying the invention,l

- Figure Zis "afrorit" end view of the lure,VV

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the lureof-Figure 1, y -f Figure 4 is an underside' view of the lure, Figure 5is an underside View of a slightly modified' form of the lure, and uFigure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the lure of Figure5. i In the drawingsin which like numerals'desig'- nate like partsthroughout the several viewsythe numeral I0 designates an elongatemetallic plate having a downwardly *and forwardly inclined deflectingplate or spoon 'II at its front end-and having a downturned'slottedflange I2 at itsrear end. A lure or plug body I3 of plastic, wood-orotherV suitable material, vis shaped to fit on the upper surface of theplate Ill, and is held in place on saidplate by means of a single screwIIIvwhich extends through an opening I 5 in the plate and is threadedinto -the lure body. For preventing"r pivotal movement of the lure bodyabout the screw I4, the body is provided with van 'integral projectinglug I6 on its under surface, and said lug is adapted to t in an openingor recess I1 in the plate. 'It is `believed obvious that the 'plate maybe formed. concaveian'd the lower surfaceof the lure fbody, formed'convex 'to t in fsuchconfcave plate, if desired,'so lthat the lure bodyWillb'e held against pivotal -movement about the screw I4 which connectsthe body to the plate. A double hook I8 having aV pair of spacedelongate resilient shanks I 9 and a common eye open; ing 20, has itsShanks extending inwardly through vthe slot 2| in the slotted'flange I2atthe rear end of the plate, and itseye opening 20 is positionedadjacent' the rear side of the downturned deiiect; ing plate II atthefrontend ofV the plate.v The shanks It!)y of thedoublehook are spreadslightly apart and pass Aon opposite sides of the screwllf, asshownfbest in Figure 4, so that the rear por;- tionsof the shanks arespread outwardly into j gagementnwith" the 4sides of the slot 2|` in thslotted flange.v Thus, dueto the reduced space between'the shanks of thehook adjacent the eye opening, therhook is restrainedw against move;ment rearwardly'withrrespect to the .body and plate; and, due totheengagement off,thefeye opening of thehook with the rearside ofthefd/e.-l fleeting plate II., the hookyis prevented `from mov; ingforwardly Iwithjrespect to, the body andjpglate,

Also',` since the Shanks" are con'nedibetwe'en the Y* 3 head of thescrew and the bottom of the plate I0, the double hook is held againstdisplacement from the plate and body.

An elongate thin nat wiggler 22 which may be formed of a piece ofchamois, pork rind, a feather or the like, has its inner end extendingthrough the slot 2| and is clamped between the shanks I9 of the hook andthe underside of the plate, being held in place by the clamping actionof the head of frth'escrew 'acting upon 'the Shanks of the hook. Thepoints of the double hook extend outwardly beyond and upwardly above therear end of the plug body, and the wiggler 22 extends rearwardly betweenthe hooks. The points of the hook thus ride uppermost, which will reducethe chance of the lure being caught in brush or weeds.

The downwardly inclined deiiecting plate or spoon II is preferablysubstantially concave in configuration, as clearly shown in Figures l,3*a'nd 4. An elongate vertically extending slot 23 is formed medially ofthe deflecting plate and extends rearwardly from the deflecting plate ashort distance axially of the body plate I (Figure 3). The forward endof the lure body I3 is provided with a concave recess 24 which extendsupwardly and outwardly from the plate to the upper forward end of thebody. Thus, access may be had tothe axial portion of the slot 23 in theplate YII) rearwardly ofthe deecting plate or spoon, so that a snapfastener hook 25 may be engaged through the slot 23 4and hooked throughthe eye opening of the double fhook, which is positioned beneath theslot in the plate and behind :the spoon. The snap fastener hook may beconnected to a suitable swivel member 2E whichis in turn 4connected tothe usual fishing line L.

The snap hook loop of the snap fastener is thus positioned substantiallyvertically in the slot 23, and the lure may pivot on the snap hook aboutthe forward portion of the eye opening 23 `of the double hook. The slotis sufliciently wide so. that lateral swiveling or wiggling movement ofthe lure will not be limited by the engagement of the sides 'of the slotwith the `snap fastener hook loop.

The plate I 0 is preferably of a substantial thickness, so that the massof the plate, being on the lower side of the lure body I3, will tend tocause the lure to move through the water in the upright position shownin Figure l. of the downwardly and forwardly inclined de- -liectng plateII and the downturned ange I2 at the rear end of the plate I I), beingbelow the point of connection of the lure with the line snap hook, alsowill assist in maintaining the plug in an upright position as it travelsthrough the water.

A flattened weight member 2'I, preferably of lead or the like, having aconnecting eye 28, may be connected to the hook loop of the hookfastener 25 to the rear of the deflecting plate II and below the eyeopening 20 of the double hook, as clearly shown in Figures l and 3. Theweight is so secured to the connecting eye that the majorcross-sectional dimension of the weight is positioned substantiallyparallel to the deflector plate and perpendicular to theplot 23 in saidde- '.iiector plate. This weight is used when it is desired to cause theplug to sink deeper in the water, and weight members of different sizesmay be used to cause the lure to travel at different depths Vin thewater.

Due to the fact that the weight is connected to the lure at the point ofswiveling or pivoting of the lure about the lhook loop of the snapfastener 25, which is the eye opening 20 of the double The weights Yhookconnecting link 33.

through the water.

In the modied form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, the doublehook it has been ureplaced with a multiple gang hook 3@ having threepoints with their Shanks 3l soldered or otherwise connected together,'and provided with an eye opening 32 connected with an elongate The hookconnecting link is "formed of a spring wire bent upon itself to form aneye loop 34 at one end and having elongate closely spaced resilient arms35 extending rearwardly from the eye loop substantially parallel to eachother. One of the resilient arrns is considerably longer than the otherand is bent back upon itself to form a connecting loop 3f at the end ofthe vlink opposite the eye loop 34 for connection to the eye opening ofthe gang hoek. The back-turned section 3l of the longer arm extendsforwardly past the rear end of the shorter arm, as clearly shown inFigure 5.

This elongate wire connecting loop or link 33 `is positioned on theunderside of the plate I9 of the lure with its eye loop 34 immediatelybehind the downturned deflector plate or spoon I-I and below therearwardly extending portion of the slot 23 in the plate, in the samemanner as the eye opening of the double hook previously described, sothat the snap fastener hook may be engaged with the eye loop forconnecting the lure tothe fishing line. The parallel resilient arms 35of the link extend rearwardly from the slot on opposite sides of thescrew I4, as best shown in Figure 5, so that the arms of the link arespread apart by the screw and longitudinal movement of the link withrelation to the body and plate is restrained or prevented in the samemanner as in the form first described, and the link is positivelyclamped in place on the under side of the plate by the head of saidscrew. The connecting loop 36 at the rear end of the link extendsoutwardly through the slot 2| in the rear slotted iiange 2 of the plateI3, but the back-turned section 3? of the connecting loop is positionedin the slot to close the loop after the connecting loop has been engagedthrough the eye 32 of the gang hook.

. The shorter arm 35 of the link otherwise is suiiiciently long toextend rearwardly into the slot in the slotted flange, and is disposedbetween the back-turned arm 3'! and the opposite arm 35 of the link.Thus, the connecting loop at the rear of the link is maintained closedand the iishing line is connected positively with the hooks on the lure.

The wiggler member 2 may be inserted between the rearwardly extendingarms of the hook connecting link and the underside of the plate Ii), soas to be clamped therebetween when the screw is tightened, and willextend outwardly through the slot 2l in the slotted flange andrearwardly therefrom, in the manner previously described. The rearportion of the connecting loop 36 extending 'beyond the fiange I2 ispreferably curved slightly downwardly, as best shown in Figure 6, topermit the gang hook to clear the rear end of the plug body and thewiggler.

All other-parts of this modied form of the lure appended-claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit of th'invehtion.

What-TI claim and-desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

turned deector plate l! and-tliedown-turned v slottedflange IZ-integralwiththe body. Such structure would reduce further the'jcost of the lure.A l

-From the foregoing, 'it will be seen 'that-.an improved fishing lurehas been provided in .which the hooks, ort-the hook Vconnecting link,are arranged for direct connction'withthe fishing line,

rather than lbeing separately vconnected 'by eye screws to the bodyofthe plug vorv lure, so that the danger of losing the hooks fromthe lineand lure is minimized. Y y

l The lure is provided with a deflecting plate or spoon near its-forwardend which has a vertically extending slot disposed medially thereofandso .arranged that a snap fastener may be engaged through the slotwith theeye of the' hook, or the hook carrying link carrying the hooks,for connecting the fishing line directly to the hooks. This minimizesthe danger of loss of the hooks from the line.

It will particularly be noted that the lure body,l

the hooks, and the downwardly and forwardly inclined spoon or'deiiecting plate'are all connected and secured together by a singlescrew,` facilitating assembly and'reducing the cost of the lure.Likewise, the plate,4 deecting spoon and hooks are all soconnectedito'gether that theyv cannot be lost from the line withoutbreaking the line or the connection with the line. Furthermore, theconnection of the lure body with the plate'by asing-le screw permitschangingthe body lof the plug orllure so that different body shapes andcolor A:arrangements may berreadily obtained simply'fby replacing orchangingY the plug body member. v y y It will also be noted that meanshas been provided on-theY lure for varyingfthe weight 0f the'- lre byadding a weight `member theretoysuch additional weight being connectedto"thelure atllth'e point "of vpivotal COnheCtOI'l'fof-the lure with thefishing line so" that` `the addedA weight does not affect the wigglingor vibratoryl motion ofthe lure as it moves through the'wate'r.Likewise, the water jett'ed through -the mslotY in""tlie d-eectingplate'or s'poon'at vthe frontend of the lure acts against .the flattenedweight memberto causethe weight to move anolvthusA increase the erraticmovement lof the lure.` Furthermore, weights .so Vconnec'zted` with .theplugY arenot Vso likely tobecome fouled orftangled withthe-'line' as,wouldweights;V connected, to-A the :line ,ahead .of

'-1. A---nshing lure including, a body having a forwardly extendingelongate plate provided with aff-#downwardly inclinedA deiiecting plateat its frontend and a down-turnedf slotted iiange-at itsprear' end,-apair of elongate resilient hook carrying-connecting members extendinginwardlythr`ou`gh the slotted flange and having an eye opening at theirforward end, the deflecting plate having ai verticallydisposed slotformed therein and Aextending rearwardly in theforwardly extendingelongate plate ashort distance -axially of the body, the eye opening atthe forward end ofthe connecting members vbeing disposed below the slotinl the forwardly extending elongate plate a'nd'immediately behind thedownwardly inclined @ailettes plaie whereby a .fishing line mareeconnected with said eye opening, and a screw` threaded through saidforwardly extending elongate rplate and into the body and extendingbetween theA resilient connectingmembers and clamping said connectingmembers between'the head of the screw and the under side of theforlwarollyextending plate. y jj2. A Yfishing lure` incluclinga bodyhaving a forwardly extending elongate plate provided with anintegraldeecting plate at its forward end extendingforwardly of the body ashortdistance, said deflecting'plate rbeing inclined downwardly andforwardly'b'elowthe body and having a vertically disposed slot formedcentrally therein continuing rearwardly in the forwardly extendingelongate plate axially cf the body, a down-turned .slotted ange on theVrear-end of the under side of the forwardly extending elongate plate,va double hook having a pair of closely spaced re; silientshanks and acommon eye opening, said Shanks extending inwardly through the slottedflange at the rear of the body and having the eye opening disposedbeneath the portion of the slot in the 'forwardly extending elongateplate' and abutting against the rear of the downwardly andforwardlyinclined deiiecting plate, anda screw extending between andspreading the shanks of the double hook and threaded through saidforwardly extending-elongate plate and into the body-for clamping the,Shanksv of the `hooks` "g'ainst the underside of Athe .forwardlyextending elongate plate.; Y 'Y I f 1, j f.

A- shing lure including, a forwardly extending elongate platehavingadownwardly and for- Wefdly nlined. defleeineplaie abita .frontendanda down-turned slotted flange at its rear end; a'lpair lof relongateresilient Vhook carrying connecting members extending inwardly throughthe slottedl flange and -havinganeye opening- -attheir inner end, the deecting r plate having avertically disposed slot formed't-heren-andextending rearwardly fromll said .Y deflecting member v, axially throughthe forward'portion of the forwardly extending elongate plate,fthe eyeopeningat the inner'end of the-,connecting'membersbeing disposedbelowthe portion? of the slot ini-the -for-f wardly-'exten'ding elongate-plate andixnmediately behind the deflect/ing plate whereby Va fishingline'may'be connectedfwithfsaid eye opening, a bodyA member on the uppersurface of thev for.- wardlyextending elongate plate, and a screwextending through said .forwardly extending l elon-'jA gate plate :andthreadedintothe body'for holding the.body g on 4- the 'fforwardlyilextendingv elongate plate;fsaidzscrewzalsoextending between theresilient connecting members and clamping said connecting membersbetween the head of the screw and the under side of the forwardlyextending elongate plate.

4. A fishing Vlure including, a body, an elongate plate connected to theunder side of the body by a screw extending through the plate andthreaded into the body, a double hook having a pair of spaced resilientShanks and a common eye opening, a slotted flange at the rear end of theunder side of the plate, the Shanks of the double hook extending throughthe slot in the flange and on opposite sides of the screw, said screwhaving a head clamping the Shanks of the hooks' to the under side of theplate with the eye opening at the front end of the plate.

5. Anshing lure including, a body, an elongate plate having a downwardlyand forwardly inclined deflecting plate at its front end and adown-turned slotted iiange at its rear end, a pair of elongate resilienthook connecting arms extending inwardly through the slot in the iiangeand having an eye opening at their inner end disposed immediately behindthe deiiecting plate on the under side of the elongate plate, and ascrew extending between the resilient connecting arms and through theplate and threaded into the body, the head of the screw clamping the`resilient connecting members against the under side of the elongateplate and holding the body ward end of the resilient connecting armswhereby a fishing line may be connected to said eye opening.

6. A nshing lure including, an elongate plate having Va downwardly andforwardly inclined deflecting plate at its front end and a downturnedslotted ila-nge at its rear end, a pair of elongate resilient hookcarrying connecting members extending inwardly through the slottediiange along the under side of the elongate plate and having an eyeopening at their inner end disposed immediately behind the inclineddeecting plate, the deflecting plate having a vertically disposed slotformed therein and extending rearwardly from said deiiecting plateaxially of the elongate plate above the eye opening of the connectingmembers, a body on the upper surface of ,Y

the elongate plate, and ascrewextending through said elongate platemember and threadedinto the body for holding the body member on theelongate plate member, said screw also extending between the resilientconnecting members and clamping said connecting members between the headof the screw and the under side of the elongate plate.

7. A fishing lure including, an elongate `plate having a downwardly andforwardly inclined deflecting plate at its front end and a down-turnedslotted iiange at its rear end, a pair of elongate resilient hookcarrying connecting members extending inwardly through the slottediiange along the under side of the elongate plate and having an eyeopening at their -inner end disposed immediately behind the inclineddefiecting plate, the delecting plate having a vertically disposed slotformed therein and extending rearwardly from said deilecting plateaxially of the elongate plate above the eye opening of the connectingmembers, a body on the upper surface of the elongate plate, a screwextending through said elongate plate and threaded into the body forholding the body on the plate, said screw also extending between theresilient connecting members and clamping said connecting membersbetween the head of the screw and the under side of the elongate plate,a iiattened weight member. and means swingably connecting the weightmember with the eye opening oi the hook carrying connecting members anddisposing said weight member behind the inclined deflecting plate withthe major cross-sectional dimension of said weight member perpendicularto the slot in said deflecting plate.

8. A iishing lure including, an elongate plate having a downwardly andforwardly inclined deflecting plate at Vits front end and a downf turnedslotted ange at its rear end, a pair of elongate resilient hook carryingconnecting members extending inwardly through the slotted flange alongthe under side of the elongate plate and having an eye opening at theirinne;

' end disposed immediately behind the inclined deecting platathedeiiecting plate having a vertically disposed slot formed thereinandextending rearwardly from said deecting plate axially of the elongateplate above the eye opening of the connecting members, a body on theupper surface of the elongate plate, a screw extending through saidelongate plate and threaded into the body for holding the body on theelongate plate, said screw also extending between the resilientconnecting members and clamping said connecting members between the headof the screw and the under side of the elongate plate, and a wigglermember having one end extending inwardly through the slotted ange andclamped between the hook carrying connecting members and the under sideof the elongate plate and extending outwardly rearf wardly from theelongate plate.

9. A fishing lure including, `a body, a plate connected to the underside of the body by a screw extending through the plate and threadedinto the body, a double hook having a pair of spaced resilient ShanksAand a common eye opening, a slotted flange at the rear end of the underside of the plate, the shanks of the double hook extending through theslot in the flange and on opposite sides of the screw, said screw havinga head clamping the shanks of the hooks to the under side of the platewith the eye opening at the front end of the plate, and a wiggler memberhaving one end extending inwardly through the slotted ilange and clampedbetween the Shanks of the double hook and the under side of the plateand having its other end ex.- tending rearwardly VJfrom the platebetween the double hooks. Y p

10. A fishing lure including, a body, a plate connected to the underside of the body by a screw extending through the plate and threadedinto the body, a double hook having a pair of spaced resilient Shanksand a common eye opening, a slotted flange at the rear end of the underside of the plate, the shanks of the double hook extending through theslot in the flange and on opposite sides of the screw, said screw havinga head clamping the Shanks of the hooks to the under side of the platewith the eye opening at the front end of the plate, a attened weightmember and means pivotally connecting said weight member with the eyeopening of the double hook and positioning said weight member with itslmajor cross-sectional dimension disposed transversely of thelongitudinal axis of the plate.

11. A shing lure including, an elongate plate having a downwardly andforwardly inclined deecting plate at its front end and a downturnedtransversely slotted flange at its rear end, a pair of elongateresilient hook-carrying connecting members extending inwardly throughthe slotted flange along the underside of the elongate plate and havingan eye opening at their inner end disposed immediately behind theinclined delecting plate, the deflecting plate having a verticallydisposed slot `formed therein and extending rearwardly from saiddeiiecting plate axially of the elongate plate above the eye opening ofthe connecting members, and a screw extending between the resilientconnecting members and threaded into the elongate plate for clampingsaid connecting members between the head of the. screw and the undersideof the elongate plate.

12. A fishing lure including, an elongate body plate having a downwardlyand forwardly inclined deflecting plate at its front end and adownturned transversely slotted ange at its rear end, a double hookhaving a pair of spaced resilient shanks and a common eye opening, theShanks of the double hook extending through the transverse slot in theflange at the rear of the underside of the elongate body plate andhaving their eye opening disposed immediately behind the inclineddeecting plate, the deiiecting plate having a vertically disposed axialslot formed therein and extending rearwardly from the deflecting plateaxially of the elongate body plate past the eye opening of the doublehook, and a screw extending between the resilient vShanks of the hooksand threaded into the elongate body plate and having a head clampingsaid Shanks to the underside of said body plate.

MATTHEW J. ISAAC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 'le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,440,869 Foss Jan. 2, 19231,615,963 Stanley Feb. 1, 1927 2,333,174 Heddon Nov. 2, 1943 2,459,819Hoage Jan. 25, 1948 2,492,064 Raub Dec. 20, 1948

